if theres any hidden shopping gems I need to know about? Good farmers markets or great places to eat? Cheap fun? furniture? Where to go for inexpensive knick knacks and kitchenwares or if theres a $ store(is there one?!) or $1+ store thats good? Health food stores with bulk spices or bins? Any and all suggestions welcome! Im close to Pearl Harbor but will travel!

For bin health food stores there Down to Earth on King street. Right next door is the BEST indian restaurant on the island, the Maharani Cafe. Its expensive and only open for dinner, but totally worth it. Up the street is my favorite korean bbq place Gina's. Huge plate lunches for reasonable prices. I also like to get crepes at Le Crepe Cafe on East Manoa rd. For ramen I like Sanoya Rahmen on King st near Mcully. My favorite place for pizza is JJ Dolan on Bethal st in Chinatown. For burgers I like Teddys Better Burgers on Beratina. For sushi theres always Genki.
I don't know how old your LOs are but there are lots of hikes all over the island. If thats something your family would be interested in I could come up with a list for you. Mostly what I do for fun is go have lunch/dinner/drinks with friends and go hiking or to the beach.

Thank you!!! That down to earth place sounds like just whT I've been looking for and we will definately try your favorite places! We have a hike ap on our phones that grades them as far as difficulty. We did the manoa falls so far but I'm sadly out of shape!!! Gotta work on that... Kids are 3 and 8.

OK we lived on Kam Highway next to the Stadium so most of our regular places are near there:
Best Pizza - Boston Pizza
Best "Diner" - toss up between Big City Diner and Anna Miller's
Down to Earth also has a store on Kam below Pearl Ridge Plaza across from Anna Miller's
Best Thai - toss up - Opal's Truck in Haleiwa or Soulvey on Kam across from Long's/Zippy's
Best Farmers Market - Haleiwa 9a-1p Sunday (eat bruch there!!!!)
Best Shrimp Truck - Macky's in Haleiwa - Ewa side of town next to the traffic circle - get the Coconut Shrimp
Best Burger - hands down Kiawe Grill on Kam near Anna Miller's
Best Thrift Store - Goodwill on Kam
Best Drive In - Toss up - Rainbow Drive In (in town) or Byron's in front of the airport
Best Kine Supermarket - Safeway - use the store card and preload it with coupons from home online - awesome deals!
Best Fish - Nicco's Pier 38
Best Huli Huli Chicken - the place on Nimitz before Flora Dec - only open weekends....
Best Whale Watching - the park in front of the Children's Discovery Center or Makapu'u Lighthouse. (Makapu'u hike is all paved, but steep.) (Children's Discovery Center is small but fun once every other month or so if it is raining out)

Definately check out BabyAwearness in Manoa. Amazing group of people with great connections.
Also check out the Babywearers meetup that happens the 3rd tuesday of the month at the Caitlin Community center. GREAT mama's with tons to share. We used to go every month then I had YDD and her Dr appointments always happened ast the same time as the meet up.

OK we lived on Kam Highway next to the Stadium so most of our regular places are near there:
Best Pizza - Boston Pizza
Best "Diner" - toss up between Big City Diner and Anna Miller's
Down to Earth also has a store on Kam below Pearl Ridge Plaza across from Anna Miller's
Best Thai - toss up - Opal's Truck in Haleiwa or Soulvey on Kam across from Long's/Zippy's
Best Farmers Market - Haleiwa 9a-1p Sunday (eat bruch there!!!!)
Best Shrimp Truck - Macky's in Haleiwa - Ewa side of town next to the traffic circle - get the Coconut Shrimp
Best Burger - hands down Kiawe Grill on Kam near Anna Miller's
Best Thrift Store - Goodwill on Kam
Best Drive In - Toss up - Rainbow Drive In (in town) or Byron's in front of the airport
Best Kine Supermarket - Safeway - use the store card and preload it with coupons from home online - awesome deals!
Best Fish - Nicco's Pier 38
Best Huli Huli Chicken - the place on Nimitz before Flora Dec - only open weekends....
Best Whale Watching - the park in front of the Children's Discovery Center or Makapu'u Lighthouse. (Makapu'u hike is all paved, but steep.) (Children's Discovery Center is small but fun once every other month or so if it is raining out)

Definately check out BabyAwearness in Manoa. Amazing group of people with great connections.
Also check out the Babywearers meetup that happens the 3rd tuesday of the month at the Caitlin Community center. GREAT mama's with tons to share. We used to go every month then I had YDD and her Dr appointments always happened ast the same time as the meet up.

I was a little disappointed with the haleiwa farmers market. Scored some delicious blueberry banana jam it was fun to people watch and all but I was hoping for more fruits and veggies. Is there another somewhere with more produce?

Can anyone recommend a good hair person? Im a bottle blonde and need help!

I was also going to say that the Down to Earth at Pearlridge is closer than the one in town. It's definately not cheap though so I just get a few specialty items there.

Another "restaurant" which I love is the food at Aiea Bowl...yep the bowling ally. It's got the BEST local food! The forty-niner is a tiny little local place too right on Kam hwy on the way to Pearlridge.

If you want to venture to the windward side, I've heard Formaggio's is amazing (in Kailua)! They have great wine too. I will definately be checking this place out once I have this baby. Another place which is really good (not cheap) is Haliewa Joe's. http://www.haleiwajoes.com/ in Kaneohe. It's got great views and great food. There's one on the north shore too which I haven't been to.

Someone else mentioned the shrimp trucks on north shore....I've been to a few and honestly don't know the difference. I love the ginger shrimp myself

Siam Kitchen is a good Thai place which is in a shopping/restaurant center on Kam hwy (drive past pearlridge a few blocks). Further up on Kam Hwy is a NICE Thai place called Souvulay http://souvaly.com/ Great food.

I know there are more....can't think of any right now. As far as cheap clothes shopping, there isn't much. I just look for sales or online. Friends have told me to try The Rack (Nordstroms), but haven't made it there yet.

Good luck!

__________________
Michele, WOHM married to DH for 11 yrs and mama to DS1 Kellyn 6-10-08 and DS2 Kinley 4-25-11 and DS3 Madigan 12-27-13